Have you ever in your quest to be more and do more, experienced the feeling that you were going backward? We all seem to be over-stretching ourselves. I am always saying, "I never thought life would be this busy". Could all this busyness actually prevent us or be creating blocks in our lives to what we are truly seeking? Could we actually start slowing down and asking ourselves different questions that would end up creating a more profound awareness in our lives? Can this hectic life with so many distractions keep us from a life where we are in appreciation of each and every moment of our day?



We live in a world with so many expectations and so much to accomplish. The financial well being, relationships that work, looking good and to be everything society wants us to be. All these burdens and expectations are like trying to push a bowling ball up a hill. Can we actually be causing damage to our well being, to the physical mind and body and in turn slowing the real growth we seek here on this planet? Does this damage that we have possibly caused need to be healed and will we slow down enough to heal ourselves?

We pursue all these things to create a place of wholeness. We seek a life that is complete and whole and dream of enjoying all that life has to offer. But do we ever get to the place of peace, calmness, and serenity and do we ever find the love for our lives.

When will we start to recognize that this is not working? And that we just keep doing more but the wholeness of our lives is just a big hole. Well there is hope. When we start to recognize what is going on and pay attention, we can take steps in creating and changing our lives to make a difference.

When we recognize that we need to be responsible for our own life and that we are the ones who ultimately create our reality we can actually break through all the expectations others have put on us and take the time to enjoy the moment. I'm not saying that we just sit around and do nothing. The point that I am making is that we are so busy that we are never where we are in that moment. We are doing one task and thinking about the next task. We never take the time to be in the moment and enjoy the moment for just that. We are in our cars, talking on the phone and thinking about the meeting we have later that day. We pick up a friend from the airport or we are at lunch with our mothers and we just have to answer that call from a friend who just wants to chit chat. When does it all slow down. When do we just be with someone or something? Like taking the time to read a book, or just sitting there and listening to your child, without all the noise going on in your head of what you have to do next? How about just being? Breathing and being in that moment from time to time and just enjoying it. A good friend of mine would sometimes take a Friday afternoon off from work or her chores and just be with the day. Enjoying the sunshine and feeling the warmth of the sun as it kisses her long flowing hair. Do you ever slow down and listening to the birds sing, or watching a humming bird hover like a helicopter as it pecks at a bougainvillea. Do you still feel the coolness and that little tickle of the grass on your feet or are you just traversing this planet in pursuit of something you just can't get your hands around? Try breathing in and out slowly and feel the air move through your body. Do it now! Appreciate this moment and be in gratitude for this moment. Yes, you can tend to your busy life later, but from time to time just stop and just be. Be open to seeing and feeling what is going on around you and really appreciation the moment for whatever it offers. Let the world take care of itself for a while. You don't have to always fix everything.

As you get good at being in the moment you will learn how to do this even when you are busy. You can take on tasks and just be in that task. You can actually enjoy the task and do it so well that you don't even realize how quickly time has past and how efficient you were in accomplishing and enjoying that task. You can talk to someone and actually hear what they mean, not just what they are saying. So pay attention to the moment for this moment will never appear again. Every moment is a precious gift and the decisions and things we do in every moment create our reality. Please enjoy this moment and every moment of your life.

Copyright 2006 Douglas Alp